Life After Death

Jewish perspectives on the bestseller Proof of Heaven.

Dr. Eban Alexander is an academic neurosurgeon whose credentials include 15 years teaching at Harvard Medical School. He did not believe in spiritual concepts such as the soul, the afterlife, and supernatural phenomena. As he writes in his best-selling book Proof of Heaven:

Like many other scientific skeptics, I refused to even review the data relevant to the questions concerning these phenomena. I prejudged the data, and those providing it, because my limited perspective failed to provide the foggiest notion of how such things might actually happen.

Then, at age 54, Dr. Alexander suffered a virulent attack of bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis first attacks the brain’s cortex, the part of the brain that is responsible for memory, language, emotion, visual and auditory awareness, and logic. For seven days, Dr. Alexander lay in a coma, totally unresponsive. Then, just as his doctors (who were also his colleagues) were about to pull the plug, he regained consciousness, and gradually made a full recovery.

Recovered, he was eager to recount his vivid experiences of spiritual worlds while he was in the comatose state. Although he had previously heard of Near Death Experiences (NDE), Dr. Alexander, as a neuroscientist, dismissed those accounts as hallucinations generated by the brain, because most NDEs are experienced by patients during cardiac arrest, when the heart stops but the brain is still functioning. In his own case, however, he points out that his cortex, the only scientifically plausible source of such detailed, richly interactive perceptions, was not functioning at all.

Proof of Heaven has been on the New York Times bestseller listfor the last 23 weeks. Last week it was #1. The book and its author have become a much-touted cultural phenomenon. He has been interviewed by Oprah, Joy Behar, “Good Morning, America,” and a host of other TV and radio shows.

Many prominent scientists have attacked the book, claiming that Dr. Alexander’s cerebral cortex was not in fact “shut down,” or that what he experienced came during the short interval when his cortex was waking up, or that his “hallucinations” came from chemicals produced by the meningitis itself, etc.

I am certainly not qualified to weigh the scientific evidence for or against Dr. Alexander’s claims. Yet, without giving credence to the veracity of his account, the subjects he raises—the persistence of consciousness after the death of the physical body, the existence of other realms that dwarf this physical world, and the place that evil and free will play in the cosmos—are subjects that Judaism has been elucidating for over 3,000 years.

With the world still reeling from the deaths of the Boston Marathon terrorist attack, the massive explosion in Texas, and the earthquake in China, it’s an apt time to take a look at what Judaism says about life after death.

Will the Real World Please Stand Up

Dr. Alexander’s account describes three distinct realms. The third and “highest” of them is what he calls the “Core,” where he claims to have experienced the presence of the Divine:

I continued moving forward and found myself entering an immense void, completely dark, infinite in size, yet also infinitely comforting. Pitch black as it was, it was also brimming over with light. …

Judaism explains that there are many worlds or dimensions. The world we know, referred to in Judaism as “This World,” is the lowest of all the worlds. The upper worlds are entirely spiritual. Only in This World has energy coalesced into dense physical matter. Time and space operate only in This World.

In the Talmud, there are numerous accounts of souls ascending to OlamHaba, the Next World. In one account [Pesachim 50a] Rabbi Yosef the son of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi died, and then came back to life. He described what he had seen there, and his father, a great sage, verified its accuracy. In other Talmudic accounts, a sage, through some kind of meditative process, was able to access higher worlds and return to his body, having nothing to do with death.

Dr. Alexander repeatedly uses the words “vast” and “infinite” to describe “the Core.” Judaism explains that the higher worlds are indeed infinite in scope. Compared to the Next World, This World is puny. As Ethics of the Fathers, going back two millennia, proclaimed, “This World is like a corridor leading to the Next World.”

“Corridor” has two implications. The first is size. The corridor that leads into a building is always much smaller than the building itself. To get some idea of the puniness of this world compared to the higher worlds, imagine a skyscraper 200 stories high. Now imagine that the lobby on the ground floor has marble flooring, a half-inch (1 cm.) thick. That marble flooring is comparable to the dimensions of This World, a thin, dense veneer on the underside of the cosmos.

“Corridor” also implies purpose. The corridor has one purpose: to lead a person into the actual building. This World, small as it is, has a crucial purpose: to lead human beings into the Next World. As Ethics of the Fathers continues the verse cited above: “Fix yourself up in the corridor, in order that you may enter the banquet hall.” Although the corridor is only an entranceway into the banquet hall, it is the only entranceway into the banquet hall. Only by rectifying oneself in This World by exercising one’s free will, can a human being enter the Next World, as will be explained below.

(Although the higher worlds include many dimensions, for our purposes we will discuss only “the Next World,” that realm where souls go after the death of the body.)

The defining characteristic of This World is that God is hidden here.

Judaism calls the Next World, “the World of Truth.” This World is the realm of falsehood and illusion, because God seems to be absent and Divine Unity is hidden behind a veil of multiplicity. The Hebrew word for “world,” – olam – shares a root with the Hebrew word for “hidden.” The defining characteristic of This World is that God is hidden here.

The Jackpot

This World has one (and only one!) advantage over the other worlds: This is the only world where the soul can change, grow, and elevate itself. Life in this world is like winning the Supermarket Jackpot. You get 20 minutes and all you can grab. You run up and down the aisles, tossing into your cart all the premium items you can snatch. But when the bell rings, it’s over. Woe to the one who has only a half-full cart of day-old bread!

A fundamental tenet of Judaism is that human beings have free choice in the moral sphere. While our preferences and proclivities are determined by heredity and environment, the choice between right and wrong, good and evil is ours. Every time we chose honesty over cheating, generosity over selfishness, or faithfulness over betrayal, we refine ourselves. By consistently choosing good over evil, we make ourselves into the refined beings who can enjoy the Light of the Divine Presence in the World of Truth.

The Next World is wholly spiritual. It is not an all-you-can-eat brunch.

The Next World is wholly spiritual with no trace of physicality. It is not an all-you-can-eat brunch. This is a crucial point. If a person devotes this life to acquiring material and sensory pleasures, will he consider an eternity spent in the Next World, devoid of IPads, movies, luxury cars, gourmet food, vintage wines, and sensory stimulation, as heaven or hell? Imagine a person whose musical appreciation is limited to hard rock being “treated” to a four-hour concert of classical music, and you will understand why one’s choices in This World determine one’s ability to enjoy the Next World. Your moral choices in This World determine how you will experience the World to Come.

Free will can exist in This World only if God masks His presence. If the teacher is standing over you throughout the exam, you do not have free choice whether to cheat or be honest. Only when the teacher leaves the room, does your free will kick in. This World is nothing but an examination hall. That is why God must seem to be absent.

Dr. Alexander describes it this way:

I saw the earth as a pale blue dot in the immense blackness of physical space. I could see that earth was a place where good and evil mixed, and that this constituted one of its unique features. Even on earth there is much more good than evil, but earth is a place where evil is allowed to gain influence in a way that would be entirely impossible at higher levels of existence. That evil could occasionally have the upper hand was known and allowed by the Creator as a necessary consequence of giving the gift of free will to beings like us.

…Free will is of central importance for our function in the earthly realm: a function that, we will all one day discover, serves the much higher role of allowing our ascendance in the timeless alternate dimension.

The moment after death, we have nothing but who we made ourselves into by our choices. Jewish lore is full of stories of the “heavenly tribunal.” This refers to the accounting that every soul undergoes as it reviews all of its choices during its lifetime. The “fires of Hell” are the burning regrets that the soul feels when, from its supernal vantage point in the World of Truth, it recognizes the growth opportunities it failed to grasp and the wrong choices it made. After leaving the body, it is too late to change.

The Boston Marathon Bombing

These spiritual truths are not mere theological constructs. They are a framework for understanding some aspects of the tragedy of the Boston Marathon.

Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the terrorists who killed and maimed dozens of innocent civilians, are accountable for their choices. Law enforcement authorities, based on preliminary investigations, are calling the brothers “self-radicalized jihadists.” The term is apt; the choice to move toward evil, to digest hate literature, to expose oneself to a despotic ideology, to apostle oneself to hate-mongers, to adopt a creed of cruelty, and to inflict injury on others, comes from the self. Animals kill by instinct. Only human beings can choose cruelty.

Many people are perplexed by the younger brother Dzhokhar. The older terrorist Tamerlan fits our stereotype of a potential terrorist; he purportedly had no friends and was once arrested for beating up his girlfriend. He is now suspected of having slit the throats of his former roommate and two other Jewish men in 2011. Dzhokhar, on the other hand, had many friends, who described him as a typical, nice college kid. One photo of him looks angelic. It’s hard to reconcile his evil deeds with his “nice guy” persona.

Ordinary human beings, like you or me, can choose between heroic good and despicable evil.

This recalls Hannah Arendt’s treatise on The Banality of Evil. Ms. Arendt was a journalist who covered the trial of Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands of Hungarian Jews. She expected to see a fiend spouting nefarious, hated-filled invectives. To her emotional discomfort, she found in Eichmann a bland bureaucrat, more banal than bestial.

This is the point of Judaism’s teaching of “free choice.” Ordinary human beings, like you or me, can choose between heroic good and despicable evil. Of course, extreme choices are not made in a single leap. Every time you give up your own pleasure to help someone or admit the truth at the cost of your ego, you move toward good. Every time you justify hurting someone or tell self-protective lies, you move toward evil. You create yourself by your daily small choices. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev could have chosen to reject his older brother’s evil rather than embrace it.

This brings us to perhaps the most wrenching loss of the Boston bombings, the death of 8-year-old Martin Richard. By all accounts, he was a child with outstanding personal attributes. He emblazoned his values on a sign: “NO MORE HURTING PEOPLE.” Our hearts go out to Martin’s family and friends in their acute suffering.

At the same time, if we understand the reality of the higher worlds, we know that the soul of Martin Richard is alive and well there, enjoying the bliss of God’s manifest presence. Judaism mourns death because it cuts short the opportunity to fix oneself in This World. Some souls, however, have very little to fix. There is no need for them to dally in the corridor.

Sara Yoheved Rigler’s all-encompassing online marriage program, “Choose Connection: How to Revive and Rejuvenate Your Marriage” is available to Aish.com readers at a special price. Click here for more info: http://www.jewishworkshops.com/webinars/connection/

About the Author

Sara Yoheved Rigler is a popular international lecturer on subjects of Jewish spirituality. She has given lectures and workshops in Israel, England, France, South Africa, Mexico, Canada, Chile, Panama, and over 35 American cities. She is one of the most popular authors on Aish.com, world’s biggest Judaism website, and is a columnist for Ami Magazine. Sara Yoheved Rigler is the author of five best-sellers: Holy Woman; Lights from Jerusalem; Battle Plans: How to Fight the Yetzer Hara (with Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller); G-d Winked; and Heavenprints . She gives a weekly Marriage Webinar for Jewish Workshops on a spiritual approach to marriage, with hundreds of members throughout the world. She lives in the Old City of Jerusalem. Her newest book, Emunah with Love and Chicken Soup, the story of Henny Machlis, the Brooklyn-born girl who became a Jerusalem legend, was was released in November, 2016. Her website is: sararigler.com.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 41

(28)
Charles Gluckman,
November 14, 2017 7:41 PM

There is no need for them to dally in the corridor

In the statement, “Some souls, however, have very little to fix. There is no need for them to dally in the corridor,” who are the people the souls belonged to? Were they the young and anyone who was incapable of hurting others and dishonoring the Almighty? Were they those who were not born alive?

(27)
Michael Stamler,
October 26, 2017 8:00 AM

Falling Short

Although this article was highly interesting it falls short when dealing with the next world. The implication is that we have but one attempt to correct ourselves in this world. But the reality is that according to accepted Kabbalah sources based on the writings of the Arizal, which is based on the Zohar, souls go through multiple reincarnations before achieving the Final Tikun. In this way the soul goes from Gigul to Gilgul until the soul is refined enough to enter Hashem's realm.

I would highly recommend an addendum to this article to complete what is otherwise a great discussion of the multiple spiritual worlds that exist as expounded in great detail by great Kabbalists such as Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag z"l, the Baal Hasulam.

(26)
Anonymous,
October 6, 2015 7:34 AM

You Shut Off the Engine, and There's No More Exhaust

I would love to believe that we go on existing somewhere somehow. Still, I think of a car. While the engine is running, it exhausts. I think of the body as the engine, and the "soul" as the exhaust gas. Sure hope I'm wrong.

(25)
Anonymous,
May 19, 2014 5:03 AM

Confusing different topics

This article confuses two different aspects of post death according to Judaism. The more static "spiritual" reality is what the early commentaries call the olam haneshamot, world of souls. This is the experience Dr. Alexander, and others near death witness. The "corridor" analogy of the Talmud and all the other analogies referencing the "olam haba" or "world to come" are referencing the immortal life that takes place (according to almost every opinion) after the revival of the dead. In this state, there is still growth, forever, since the Kabbalistic purpose of the soul is to constantly deepen its awareness of Hashem. To see sources, see the Ramchal in Derech Hashem, as well as the Ramban in Shaar Hagmul. Additionally Rav Kooks writings are expansive source material for these issues.

(24)
Allan Koven,
August 4, 2013 3:55 PM

Free Will?

Again the question of free will...HaShem is the creator of all and knows all both good and evil. He is the beginning and the end and creates time and space. When all is known, how can there be free will?Ms. Rigler's thesis on 'other worlds' falls apart when presented with this idea. Responsa on this question may be varied, however I believe It will always be beyond our understanding to know why things happen. I suppose beliefs in other worlds makes for a justifiable rationalization of why they do.

(23)
goldy,
April 30, 2013 8:44 AM

to alvin ugent

I read the pain behind your words about the six million. My father, a Holocaust survivor himself, taught us very young how that happened. He showed us the verses where we learn that G-d allows mankind to set up his relationship with Him. We set the parameters of that relationship. My father told us, "people ask where was G-d during the Holocaust, and I tell you, children, G-d was exactly where people asked Him to be. We asked G-d to turn away when we did the wrong things, to not lookI, to not care about the small details. And so G-d did exactly that, turned away, didn't look." This same concept is explained in Shir Hashirim, in Song of Songs which describes the relationship between the Jewish nation and G-d in terms of a husband-wife relationship. At one point, the verse describes G-d knocking on our door, begging us to open ourselves to spirituality. And the response is "we are so enamored with our physical comfort, we don't want the spirituality." The next few verses then explain how then G-d "leaves" and we are left bereft, alone, with no protector. King David said "Hashem Tzeelcha" -- G-d is your shadow -- whatever we decide we want the relationship with Him to be (whether we want him intimately involved in our lives or not) is how He will conduct our lives. And when we distance ourselves from Him, He allows that too...sometimes with consequences.

Rimma,
May 1, 2013 12:54 AM

I can't believe 2-5 year old babies could distance themselves from Him. And they all vanished in Holocaust. What happened that's what it is... No explanation whatsoever. My farther miraculously survived and he was 5 years old. He did not pray, he did not know how. I will never understand explanation of Holocaust from religious or spiritual point of view. Sorry.

joeseph,
May 1, 2013 3:12 PM

leviticus.bechhkosaei,.deteronomy ki tsavo

your question are dealt with

(22)
Anonymous,
April 30, 2013 7:45 AM

Aish allways taught that freewill is never the choice between good and evil but the choice between life and death. Noone chooses evil,everyone thinks they are being good etc. How does this fit in with this article which says that we have the choice to be good or evil??

Marlene,
April 30, 2013 7:38 PM

No! good and evil!

Don't know what Aish has taught, but to my knowledgel free will is a choice between good and evil. In the case of the Jews and the Palestinians, I agree, each side feels that their side is good. However, in the case of a spouse cheating, a business man cheating his customer, spreading falsehoods about someone on purpose, that person knows fully well that he or she is committing evil no matter what religion they are or not religious at all. Only g-d has the choice of life or death for each of us, so I do not understand where your belief came from. If you would like to explain it to me, I will read it and consider it.

Anonymous,
May 1, 2013 4:52 PM

Response to Marlene, Only God has the choice of life or death for each of us!

God said in Deuteronomy not sure exactly which scripture but the Rabbi will know! He said I lay before you blessings and curses, Life and Death But I say choose life and be blessed........ God said choose i.e. make a decision before us lie a whole multitude of choices we ourselves know and we have that amazing power to choose..... If we were unable to choose and only relied on God to choose for us then that would be very boring and sad how would we choose to get out of bed and do the things we have to do.... so Marlene does it mean God also chooses we hurt others or do we choose out of our own insecurities and low feelings to do so.... God is all knowing and all Powerful so remember he also said CHOOSE.... Its not easy choosing and sometimes it is overwhelming and at times what feels good for the person is what they choose but they dont look at the consequences of their choices so calculated choices are better yes its hard but it will be more rewarding in the end!

Anonymous,
May 2, 2013 7:56 PM

Can i refer you to the late Rabbi Noah Weinberg book "what the angel taught you" CH 5 Freewill in particular P 122. I assumed as this was the Aish website that you were involved with Aish hence the point i made. I understand your position is different. For the sake of clarity can i sugest you understand the Torah sources in the book in a different way to the Author? That would clear up the point for me.

es58,
May 3, 2013 4:13 PM

R' Noach said, quoting devarim, they're equivalent

in deutoronomy:
See (r'ay) [not parshas r'eh, but later.. sorry I don't have the posuk reference)] I put before you good and evil. (tov v' ra) ... and you shall choose chaim (life);
tov (good) is chaim (toras chaim == instructions for living
ra (evil) is choosing death

(21)
Anonymous,
April 29, 2013 10:04 PM

Where is Torah in this story?

It seems like most of these NDE stories are those of non-Jews, and there is no mention of Torah, as though going to heaven and how privileged you are in the next world, or to be fortunate enough to learn about it while still in this world, has nothing to do with Torah and being a good Jew. Can one conclude from these NDE stories that all that matters is that you are a good person, and you don't really need to be Torah observant to go to and be elevated in the world to come?

Anonymous,
April 30, 2013 3:58 PM

an idea for answering your question

I'm not a Rabbi or anyone particularly well-studied, but I have an idea for your question. We study and follow Torah to learn to be better Jews. Its our Guide to life. Being Torah observant helps us grow (spiritually) even further than if we were just good people. That's my opinion, but you might want to ask a Rabbi for a more...halachically-explained reason.

Anonymous,
May 1, 2013 4:57 PM

21 Where is Torah in this Story! REsponse to you!

What is being good..... acts of goodness are great but if the heart is as black as tar what then, your soul shall surely suffer within and the fact that just being a good person is all it takes with or without observing Torah or the Bible...... These Lifegiving scriptures are the basis to all aspects of life and one who does not observe them falls short of their potential to a beautiful journey of growth, wisdom, knowledge and understanding of ones self and making it better in your life and those around us!!! In fact every person is observing The Torah or the Bible because great Scholars, Philosphers and the like have extracted the words and illustrated them, paraphrased them into books, quotes, articles etc. that the World today are using which motivate them to do good and to challenge them in there heart to make right choices which is right standing with God and Self!

Anonymous,
May 2, 2013 5:59 PM

r33uben@gmail.com

Wow, "If the heart is black as tar?" I was just trying to understand why we don't hear much about NDE from Torah observant Jews, and what if anything is unique in the world to come for aTorah observant Jew vs. just a good person, not that a good person is not deserving of the world to come,

(20)
Leonid,
April 29, 2013 5:19 PM

thank you for writing about Dr. Alexander's book

Sara, I always enjoy reading your articles. As for the book "Proof of Heaven", I read it with great interest, but I did not find in it any real "proof" of Heaven, or life after death to that matter, so the Heaven concept still remains in the domain of faith to me, and this is where it probably should stay.

Lazar,
April 29, 2013 8:48 PM

Completely agree with Leonid.

I am completely agree with Leonid. Sara Yoheved Rigler, in my opinion from that article, is only a regular theology philosopher about Human Moral, questions of Value, Free Will & Determinism. The GOD doesn't need a science, evidence approval. Credo quia absurdum. The GOD is in the heart feeling. The Science is about the Real.

(19)
Zvika,
April 29, 2013 4:49 PM

Before birth experience

I believe the after life is like the before birth life.

(18)
Aubrey,
April 29, 2013 4:00 PM

Brilliantly stated!

Sara, this is one of the clearest, poignant, well written articles on the topic of free will I have ever read. It is refreshing to read the work of someone who embraces her own religion deeply and yet retains an open and truly deeply spiritual perspective. It is only through one's self realization that such explanations can be achieved. After all, we should not have to drown in the Atlantic Ocean to learn that it is deep beyond our perception and wider than

we can imagine. Dying is one way to get to the other side; living is an even better way. For Heaven's sake, that's why we're here!

(17)
Anonymous,
April 29, 2013 2:28 PM

Contradiction

If Dr. Alexander recognized that this world gives us the gift of free will, how can he have established one of the three great lessons that he learned as "You can do nothing wrong"? Further, that contradicts Jewish understanding.

(16)
tova,
April 29, 2013 1:50 PM

an inspiration and pleasure to read

your ability to combine clear logical Torah based perspectives with current events and powerful writing is an amazing gift. Keep these articles coming. Thanx!

(15)
Rita Star,
April 29, 2013 5:55 AM

I am glad to read about near-death experiences. My son had one and told me about it the next day. He completely forgot about it but I remembered. It was a pleasant phenomena and it changed my perception of life after death. Thank you for the opportunity to recall the event.

(14)
Chana Gross,
April 29, 2013 4:09 AM

Sarah, as usual, your article was inspiring. You always teach me interesting perspectives on life, and strengthen those that I, already have. Thank you so much. May Hashem bless you.

(13)
Michael,
April 29, 2013 3:12 AM

Informative

Dearest Sra, Thank you so much for your views on this matter. As always, another fine and simple to undertsand article from you.I cannot wait to read the comments here. May Sara and her beloved family be blessed daily by the Almighty.Michael

(12)
Zero Equals Infinity,
April 29, 2013 1:55 AM

Free will is illusionary, but persistent even for a determinist

Free will is not possible in fact. To have free will there must be a freedom from the causal inter-relationships which are inherent to being existent in a physical universe. I find it untenable to make an exception from physical inter-relationship on the basis that some physical entities also have intelligence. However, I will agree that even the most hardened determinist still has the persistent illusion of choosing, (he just denies that this subjective sense is proof that he is in fact free to choose.)

A lack of free will does not eliminate moral responsibility and accountability. But how can that be? Surely if there is no freedom in fact, then moral accountability is not just. Not so, because we act as though our actions are free, such that the accountability for action is still both real and defensible. It is real because our actions reinforce or change who we are becoming moment by moment, event by event, and in intimate relation with the universe. It is morally defensible because it results from who we are, and because we possess a persistent sense of choosing, without overt conscious compulsion.

I do not deny that a sense of Presence is part of what I have experienced subjectively. The void, and a sense of being and nothingness permeating is also within my experience. My experience of that is of a timeless space, intensely intimate and alien both. It is where duality collapses and is born. It is far beyond any word or form to contain or express. That is my experience. It is a subjective experience, but because we all share the same biology, it is an accessible one. I find that state to be extraordinarily intense, as though all and nothing, time and timelessness are distinctions which are not necessary, at least from such a state.

(11)
FRED,
April 29, 2013 12:27 AM

THE OTHER WORLD????

On his visit to the other world what evidence was brought back beside impressions. Any proof more tangible than words. Why should one believe him ?? To days world with promises of paradise brought about the murder of millions as a reward. I am puzzled by assigning credibility to such mystery. Fantasies have terrible consequence.

Sharon,
April 29, 2013 9:18 AM

ironic

Yes, it is ironic that those same Islamic fanatics commit their evil deeds based on beliefs in an afterlife. It would be better if they were complete atheists. If your belief leads you to cruelty and evil, best to skip it altogether. While the proof of another realm is not empiric it is quite pervasive. Are you just a body or also and more importantly a soul. The soul does not die with the body. The more you live your life in a spiritual realm, the more you know this to be true.

(10)
Chana,
April 28, 2013 10:50 PM

thank you for making a difficult concept easier to understand and digest.

I love how you ended your article in a positive way regarding the tragic death of the 8 year old boy in Boston.

(9)
ruth housman,
April 28, 2013 9:48 PM

in this small life

G-d in Not in Hiding so I am totally aware my choices are directed but my choice is to freely follow a Divine Directive which is Tikkun Olam. Free will merges with Determinism on a Cosmic Level. What you perceive depends entirely on what rung you occupy on Jacob's Ladder.

(8)
Anonymous,
April 28, 2013 9:43 PM

The undiscovere'd country

"There ain't no second act" Ehrich Weiss

(7)
Alvin Ugent,
April 28, 2013 9:24 PM

free will

I keep reading about "free will" in the Aish articles and the writer almost always talks about how God gave us that and how wonderful it is. I am still waiting to see an answer about the 6 million killed by Hitler. That was free will. Why did God let that happen? He could have modified the free will and ruled that the maximum you can kill with the free will is 3 million Jews or something like that. But don't worry, Aish never prints my comments and it believes that free will is God's decision and we can't say anything is wrong with that. You are wrong about that Aish.

JD,
April 30, 2013 7:37 AM

tricky subject

Free will can be our best friend or worst enemy. Regarding the example you gave, it was for whatever reason God's decision to take so many souls out of this world at that time, but those who took part in it still had no right to choose to take part in it and that is why they are held accountable. As far as why God would let it happen or make it happen, we cannot say. We can look inside ourselves when trouble befalls us personally but we cannot look for reasons why trouble came upon others.

(6)
Lisa,
April 28, 2013 8:05 PM

It's never enough!!

I look at death as a part of life.... Albeit 100% spiritual. We are sad for those that leave us however they are now in getting what they "deserve"....this is when they hand over their mitzvot & trade them in for vast treasures!! So lets keep on grabbing opportunities to do good!! Then we too will see a shining bright lite coming from our Maker.

(5)
Eva,
April 28, 2013 7:53 PM

Wow

Beautifully written! Thank you so much!

(4)
stephen sarfo,
April 28, 2013 7:36 PM

opens my eye about heaven

the issue as to whether heaven exits have being explained and proved. i hope many people will read and be blessed

(3)
Neicee,
April 28, 2013 6:22 PM

Big lump in throat.

Thank you so very much for laying out the reasons we should be overjoyed at passing instead of being afraid. We've all mourned and felt alone when one of our own leaves us. Abandoned. But, they've simply returned to the Father, as will we. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to pull a copy and send it to those that have lost loved ones recently.

(2)
Fred,
April 28, 2013 6:10 PM

It Is True

Read Dr. Raymond Moody, Dr. Micheal Newton, Dr. Brian Weiss and many others on this topic. The Earth Plane is the hardest to get through. Everything we do is being recorded. After we die we meet a Council of Elders who go through what we have done on Earth. We also have a Spirit Guide with us at all times who watches over us and assists when possible.

(1)
Sandrine,
April 28, 2013 4:45 PM

Incredible

À warm light so beautiful that You must not look at...why? If You don't wanna go.Just incredible.

My nephew is having his bar mitzvah and I am thinking of a gift. In the old days, the gift of choice was a fountain pen, then a Walkman, and today an iPod. But I want to get him something special. What do you suggest?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Since this event celebrates the young person becoming obligated in the commandments, the most appropriate gift is, naturally, one that gives a deeper understanding of the Jewish heritage and enables one to better perform the mitzvot! (An iPod, s/he can get anytime.)

With that in mind, my favorite gift idea is a tzedakah (charity) box. Every Jew should have a tzedakah box in his home, so he can drop in change on a regular basis. The money can then be given to support a Jewish school or institution -- in your home town or in Israel (every Jews’ “home town”). There are beautiful tzedakah boxes made of wood and silver, and you can see a selection here.

For boys, a really beautiful gift is a pair of tefillin, the black leather boxes which contain parchments of Torah verses, worn on the bicep and the head. Owning a pair of Tefillin (and wearing them!) is an important part of Jewish identity. But since they are expensive (about $400), not every Bar Mitzvah boy has a pair. To make sure you get kosher Tefillin, see here.

In 1944, the Nazis perpetrated the Children's Action in the Kovno Ghetto. That day and the next, German soldiers conducted house-to-house searches to round up all children under age 12 (and adults over 55) -- and sent them to their deaths at Fort IX. Eventually, the Germans blew up every house with grenades and dynamite, on suspicion that Jews might be in hiding in underground bunkers. They then poured gasoline over much of the former ghetto and incinerated it. Of the 37,000 Jews in Kovno before the Holocaust, less than 10 percent survived. One of the survivors was Rabbi Ephraim Oshri, who later published a stirring collection of rabbinical responsa, detailing his life-and-death decisions during the Holocaust. Also on this date, in 1937, American Jews held a massive anti-Nazi rally in New York City's Madison Square Garden.

In a letter to someone who found it difficult to study Torah, the 20th century sage the Chazon Ish wrote:

"Some people find it hard to be diligent in their Torah studies. But the difficulty persists only for a short while - if the person sincerely resolves to submerge himself in his studies. Very quickly the feelings of difficulty will go away and he will find that there is no worldly pleasure that can compare with the pleasure of studying Torah diligently."

Although actions generally have much greater impact than thoughts, thoughts may have a more serious effect in several areas.

The distance that our hands can reach is quite limited. The ears can hear from a much greater distance, and the reach of the eye is much farther yet. Thought, however, is virtually limitless in its reach. We can think of objects millions of light years away, and so we have a much greater selection of improper thoughts than of improper actions.

Thought also lacks the restraints that can deter actions. One may refrain from an improper act for fear of punishment or because of social disapproval, but the privacy of thought places it beyond these restraints.

Furthermore, thoughts create attitudes and mindsets. An improper action creates a certain amount of damage, but an improper mindset can create a multitude of improper actions. Finally, an improper mindset can numb our conscience and render us less sensitive to the effects of our actions. We therefore do not feel the guilt that would otherwise come from doing an improper act.

We may not be able to avoid the occurrence of improper impulses, but we should promptly reject them and not permit them to dwell in our mind.

Today I shall...

make special effort to avoid harboring improper thoughts.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...